There’s no official handbook provided on the art of coaching.

But if there was, the ‘1-0’ mindset would be in the first chapter.

Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Gates is taking that approach with his team this week, emphasizing the importance of humility and consistency after a win against then-No.5 Florida.

“I thought our guys showed in practice and the focus that they had the ability to stay humble,” Gates said in a press conference on Friday. We talked about it in our locker room, after that game in Gainesville [Florida]. I specifically talked about those.”

Missouri has reasons to be confident. After finishing winless in conference play last season, the Tigers find themselves tied for second place in a stacked Southesatern Conference. The win over the Gators was the first time Missouri notched a road victory over a top-five team since 2012.

“Our conference is tough,” Gates said. “And having those wins against some great programs, allows us to build, in the process, a resume.”

The SEC will undoubtedly see constant shifting over the next two months before the NCAA Tournament. Just a week before Missouri took down Florida, the Gators won by 30 over then-top-ranked Tennessee.

A win over Florida, however, could stand as one of, if not the best, victories for Tigers this season. One that could make the difference for a tournament bid or seeding.

But that win won’t mean a thing if Missouri can’t turn it into anything.

“We’re not done yet,” Gates said. “We have to continue to focus in the moment and not think that our next opponent, which in this tough conference, our next opponent is the most important opponent.”

Missouri knows, possibly better than any other team just how quickly the SEC can humble you. With hopes to build off a 2022-’23 season with a bid in the tournament, the 2023-’24 season was a huge disappointment. Especially for players like former Iowa State guard Caleb Grill who had transferred over ahead of the 2023 season, buying into what Gates had shown in his first year with the Tigers.

The team has mostly tried to wipe away the memory of the winless SEC slate. The best way to do so is by following it up with a much improved record.

“I just think it shows how resilient we’ve been,” Grill said of Missouri’s start to SEC play. “Last year did not go the way we wanted to. I mean, we wanted to make a statement this year. And I think we’ve done that so far. And now we just gotta keep continuing to prove ourselves.”

Missouri’s next SEC challenger comes in Arkansas, who the Tigers host Saturday. This year, the Razorbacks could give a first-hand account on how quickly things can turn in the conference.

After winning games against two ranked opponents (Kansas, Michigan) in the non-conference schedule, the Razorbacks have lost all four of their first SEC games.

But Gates won’t let his team for a moment think Arkansas will be an easy matchup.

“Regardless of record, a top-25 team is coming in our building, and that’s who they are,” Gates said. “I’m not looking at it any other way. Hadn’t looked at it any other way. But they are a great team coached by a Hall of Fame coach [John Calipari].”

The cooldown for Missouri after the upset win in Florida might take an adjustment back to being steady headed might require some intentional effort. But there’s no changes to be made to the routine or attempts to do too much to erase the win. For Gates, it’s much more about getting back to the routine that led to the success.

 “I just think continuing to do what we’re doing,” Grill said. “I wouldn’t say we need to adjust. I mean, there’ll obviously be different strategies for each game. So there’s gonna be a little bit of adjustment, but continuing what we’ve been doing every single day leading up to every game throughout the however many games we’ve played this year. We just gotta keep continuing, to do what we do.”

If Missouri can continue to succeed at the rate and in the areas it has early in SEC season, the Tigers will have a good chance to extend the win streak to four games against Arkansas on Saturday at Mizzou Arena at 5 p.m.